Best Of Reggae Vol.2, The (Dread Rastafari) - Various Artists

Advantages: This guy practises what he preaches.
Disadvantages: not known enough.

...I can't believe my eyes....43 albums in the Sizzla heading, and not one single review !!! I knew Sizzla was generally against publicity, but in England, he must be at least a little bit known? OK, the best thing to do, i guess, is tell you about this surprising reggae artist. ~~~~BIOGRAPHY~~~~ SIZZLA ~ alias Miguel Collins, is considered as Jamaica's number one reggae/dance hall artist in the '90's. Born the 17th of April, 1976, in August town, Jamaica, where he grow up with his Rastafarian parents, who joined the "Bobo Ashanti" in the mid-90's. Bobo = African (their spiritual home) and Ashanti, name of an ancient tribal religion, resembling that of the Israelites. He released first single with the label Zagalou in 1995. Then moved onto Bobby "Digital" Dixon's Digital B imprint. It's when he met producer Philip "Fatis" Burrell... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Old favourites remixed as "urban duets"
Disadvantages: Not for the purists; this isn't real reggae

...the rapping, sctaching and modern beats. Original: 4/5 Remix: 3/5 TAP: The "live" hip hop beats that dominate throughout 4. Rastaman Chant (Featuring Busta Rhymes) The first track on the album that retains a bit of the original's feel. There's no hip hop beats, just a beautiful plucked guitar and a reggae riddim married to Marley's vocals that for once do not seem to be added to the track as an afterthought. BUT! Two minutes in that all changes. Busta Rhymes makes a couple of half-hearted, two-line raps and disappears only to return complete with Jamaican accent lamenting the misunderstood rastafari culture. Quite bemusing. Original: 4/5 Remix: 2/5 TAP: Busta's nonsense "chatting" on three minutes: "when Babylon farl" 5. Guiltiness (Featuring The Lost Boyz) Never heard of the Lost Boyz, however this little known quantity show surprising... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Excellent covers of some old reggae standrads
Disadvantages: Sometimes a bit too slick

...The creation of entire albums of music from other artists is nothing new. It has been done to great effect by David Bowie, Bryan Ferry and many more. When UB40 followed up their first 2 albums which contained their own material with an album drawn from favourite reggae songs from their youth. Having established themselves as the conscience of 80s youth with their socially aware lyrics about unemployment and social injustice it could have been seen a s a commercial sell-out and perhaps ultimately it was. It was also, however, a very fine album. That it must have been a labour of love can be heard in the loving way the songs are crafted and every track reproduces the excellence of the original. As a lover of real reggae I do have to make one minor criticism and that is that the album is too good. There is far more added production... Read review

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